INTENTION, YOGA & HABITS

CAN SETTING AN INTENTION BE ENOUGH TO CHANGE HABITS? CAN YOGA HELP?

In an effort to be more intentional about the content and information that I disseminate from the EXHALO FORTIS platform, I’ve decided to have a specific theme each month. Currently, the theme is consistency. As I’ve noted in the previous blog post entitled BUILD A HABIT, consistency is the number one issue I hear from my personal training clients and people in general. Whether you are currently trying to build a journaling, exercising, running, or a daily drawing habit, I highly recommend you read this blog post!

INTENTION

You want to workout everyday. You want to integrate a hiking habit on the weekends so you set an intention to do these things, but is setting an intention enough? Research has shown that “the automated repetition of habits, sets limits on when mindful constructs such as intentions, attitudes, and decisions predict future action.”

In one study, researchers wanted to predict how likely college students were to buy fast food or watch TV in a week. They found that “students with strong habits . . .recreated their past behavior regardless of their intentions.” On the flip side, students who had not so strong past habits of watching TV or buying fast food, were more likely to follow through on their intentions. This means that “intentions as predictors of behavior declined as habit strength increased.” So the more ingrained your habit is in your behavior, the less likely your new intention that goes against that old habit will be successful. Read that again.

YOGIC RESPONSE TO HABITS

It appears that breaking the chains of lifelong, integrated habits is a very difficult task. The more integrated the habit, the harder it will be to change the behavior pattern by simply intending to change. Additionally, our habits are often a single link in a chain of habits that we’ve learned to do. To read more about this check out BUILD A HABIT.

Enter T.K.V Desikachar. Desikachar is the son of Krishnamacharya who is considered by many (if not most) the “Father of Yoga.” This lineage passed down yoga teachings to anyone who wanted to learn more about yoga. In “The Heart of Yoga” by Desikachar, he states that “when we are attentive to our actions we are not prisoners to our habits; we do not need to do something today simply because we did it yesterday.” Desikachar suggests that the antidote to breaking free from integrated habits is being present and in the moment. By practicing this level of mindfulness, we are aware of our current state and can make conscious decisions.

CONCLUSION

Setting an intention can be very beneficial to our state of mind. It is a way for us to state to ourselves what we want from the world and what we want from ourselves. Intention setting can even influence our habits if those habits are not strongly ingrained into our minds. However, setting an intention falls short in changing our more strongly held habits. In these cases, begin to channel a yogi mind-set and be present. By being more in the moment, your focus is on your current task. This will enable you to actually THINK about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

You want to change your habits? Set an intention to change a habit then work to be more present and mindful in every moment. This is a part of yoga. Consider taking up a yoga practice to help you practice being present and living intentionally.

Thank you for reading!